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Detailed travelogue on Australia and New Zealand
Detailed Travelogue on Australia and New Zealand
Larry2006-05-27 03:23:16
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holds that you slurp
long ramen noodles for a good New Year). He cooked the ramen, and we all
shared it, talking until midnight. When midnight came, we stepped outside
(to an incredibly starry sky) and faintly heard the "Happy New Years!"
shouts of the revelers down below. It had been a long day, but it ended
with a most enjoyable evening.
The next day, I was up early to take the famous "Fuller's Cream Trip"
through the Bay of Islands. The trip leaves first from Paihia, then picks
up passengers in Russell. I had spent the night in Paihia, and wanted to
look around Russell a bit before boarding the cruise, so early that morning,
I took the Paihia -> Russell ferry across to Russell and walked around.
Paihia and Russell are the two main towns in the Bay of Islands, and if
Paihia is the commercial one, Russell is the charming one. Though small,
Russell is full of historic walks and old homes. It's quiet, and also very
hilly. I walked around for a bit until 10:15, when I had to be at the docks
to catch the Cream Trip boat.
The Fullers "Cream Trip" is a famous boat cruise through the many small
islands of the Bay. Originally, there were many dairy farms on the islands,
and Fuller would take his boat from island to island, picking up the cream
(milk) from the farms. Through the years though, the farms have all but
disappeared, though the trip is still popular for tourists. Its reputation
is well-deserved -- the 5-6 hour tour takes you through some of New
Zealand's most beautiful scenery, and throughout the day, the skipper of the
boat (who has been doing the tour for over 30 years), talks about the
history of the various islands, and what each is used for now. Many of them
are available as camping grounds (accessible by boat), with many Aucklanders
sailing up to use them for holiday. Still others are privately
...
See photographs from:
Australia Gallery
,
New Zealand Gallery
